my stay. Like most humans, I prefer my food warm, and I’ve always been fond of seafood. I assure you, your family has been properly compensated,” he said, nodding towards her mother, whose cheeks flushed scarlet.
“What about the covenant?” I asked.
“Live together, die apart, isn’t it?” Augustine grinned, one hand clutching Josephine’s neck with long, bony fingers.
“Not like this,” I stuttered. “Never like this.”
“As I’m sure you know, visiting elite are allowed to sample local goods. It’s not uncommon for elite to trade in special vintages... you must be thirsty, if you’d like I can save you some?”
“Let her go,” Penelope said again, baring her fangs like a caged animal. “Or I will rip you apart.”
“Penelope!” her mother stood up, aghast. “You will respect our guest, this is still our house.”
“Ah I see I’ve caused offense,” Augustine shrugged, “Forgive me my clumsy manners, I will withdraw immediately.” He released Josephine and gave a deep bow, straightening his collar.
Dinner was a short affair after that. Penelope, still seething, practically locked herself in her rooms.
Jazmine had been putting on a brave face through dinner, but the added stress was too much for her. Camina helped her limp back to her room. Her face a mask of pain, and feverish. She needed rest and more elixir, or her condition could worsen.
I was too keyed up to sit still. Who was this mysterious stranger? How had he ended up here, in Penelope’s house; was he looking for us, did he know we were coming? For all we knew, he could already be headed back to the citadel to tell the king he’d found us.
“I’m going for a walk,” I declared.
“I’ll go with you” Trevor said quickly. I nodded, and we left the house together. A series of steps and stairways cut up the moon-shaped outer walls of the city. It was much smaller than the citadel, maybe a fourth of the size, but the walls were nearly as tall.
We explored the streets silently, keeping to the shadows as the light faded. Round, glowing lamps shone over the cobblestones. More than once I caught my own twisted reflection, scowling from the dark windows. In Havoc, I’d had the luxury of being anonymous. The free-range humans didn’t watch the broadcasts from the capital. Here, it was only a matter of time before I was recognized. I was still wearing the foamy blue dress, but had grabbed a cloak on my way out. I kept my hands deep in the pockets and my hood pulled up as Trevor and I explored the dark streets.
Despite our tense dinner and the adrenaline that was flooding my system, I couldn’t help but be charmed by the novelty around me: apart from Algrave, this was the first compound I’d visited, and the differences were startling. While Algrave was larger and more spread out, Crollust was built like a fortress. Houses had been built into the walls, and tight apartment complexes were spread evenly through the center area like a regiment of soldiers.
The markets were crowded with fish and game, but also had a broader selection of goods, which hinted at a more diverse range of visitors. After being so long without them, the hum of the purification engines almost felt comforting; a blanket of white noise that I’d grown up with, it reminded me of home.
This was the reward of belonging to Richard’s kingdom. Fresh air, relative freedom of movement. No poisonous fish or dangerous beasts; no mutid bears.
But at what cost?
I couldn’t forget the glassy stare of Penelope’s young sister as she offered herself to her family’s elite guest. It was a duty, almost an honor. And it was just blood; he wasn’t killing her, he wasn’t forcing her, and yet I could see the powerless and hopelessness in her eyes.
Taught from a young age that she existed for the pleasure of another. There was no fight in her. The elite could take what they wanted. It was every citizen’s duty, though with so few elite visits, apart from the annual choosing – and even then – often only one or two girls would be picked from each compound. One life of service, in exchange for thousands of lives living in relative peace and security. It wasn’t the worst trade off.
But every time I thought about what happened at dinner, I imagined King Richard, and Loralie or Jamie in Josephine’s place. He was keeping them captive in the citadel. Was he feeding on them? It made my stomach roll with